Ten Best Ways to Prepare for College

Ten Ways Junior High Students Can Prepare for College - Caroline H. and Malia
College seems to be on the mind of almost all students after sixth grade. Students conference with school counselors for the CCR (College and Career Readiness) meetings, but do those meetings cover everything? Here are what students should do in order to be prepared and qualified for college:

Study hard for the ACT/SAT. 

If kids don’t study for the ACT/SAT, they shouldn’t expect to do well. There are classes you can take to prepare, as well as specialized tutors, preparation apps on cell phones, and practice texts. Before a big test, the best thing a student can do is study and especially on the ACT/SAT. Reading ACT/SAT textbooks will also help the student be well prepared for the test, and learn some of the things that will be on the tests. These textbooks have information about the test, and practice questions - that won’t match the questions on the test word-for-word - but are very similar and have the same level of difficulty. These test are some of the most important a student will ever take, and will make a huge impact on whether they get into college or not.

Have an idea of what kind of college they want to go to. 

It’s hard for a student to pick a college, but even harder if they don’t know what kind they want to go to. It’s usually helpful for a student to know what he or she wants to do for a career, but if they don’t know, they can always go to a two-year community college and transfer to a university once they have a decided major. Liberal Arts colleges also give a strong foundation for a number of careers. 

If they do know what kind of job they want to have, then research what kind of school would be the best. If they want to be a lawyer, they should look into what universities have good branches of law school. If they want to be a journalist, they should research which schools are best for writers. It’s also important that they keep their personal interests in mind. Flexible schedules, small class sizes, or study-abroad options are all things to look into.

Create a list of colleges.
Having a list of potential colleges can be very helpful. Students will always have their first-pick for college/university, but it’s important to have a backup plan in case they don’t get into their preferred college. Students should have a wide range of colleges on the list, as well as have an idea of what each college’s requirements. It will also help to know what the average acceptance rate, SAT/ACT score, and GPA average is for the school as a whole.

Write a unique college essay.
College essays are one of the most important things when it comes to college applications. A high school student recently wrote an outstanding essay on Costco of all things. The essay got her accepted into Harvard, as well as other ivy leagues. If a student has an amazing essay, that will be the key for getting them into college. A unique essay really stands out in an application pool, and if someone can write a good essay, and they have good test scores, they’re likely in.

Get involved in school clubs and activities.
Colleges enjoy seeing students that show dedication outside of school. Extracurricular activities, volunteering credits, past job experience, and sports teams reflect well on a student’s resume and application. Doing other activities show that a student is good at managing time and can handle juggling school and activities at the same time. Plus, they can also be fun!

Take AP classes and score well on the test.
Teachers strongly suggest that their students to take Advanced Placement classes in high school, but recommend these AP classes are ones not related to a student’s major, or are even the classes a student doesn’t like. For example, one shouldn’t take all English AP classes when they’re favorite subject is English, because once they’re in college, they’ll already have credits for that class and won’t be able to take it in college. Instead, it’s better to get the boring, uninteresting classes out of the way, and leave room for the fun classes once in college.

Maintain a high GPA.
This ties in with having AP classes. Even one AP class can raise a student’s GPA a potential .25, and this is a big deal to schools after high school. It shows that a student is dedicated to their classes and school work. Colleges don’t want slackers - they want hard workers who wouldn’t drop out of school when things get too hard.

Ask the right teachers for letters of recommendation.
Students don’t always have to go to their favorite teachers for recommendation letters. It’s also beneficial to go to a teacher who’s seen them improve and grow a lot, even if that isn’t their favorite class or their favorite teacher. Teachers want students to get into college and university, so they won’t go around writing negative letters for a student applying to college. They’re called ‘letters of recommendation’ for a reason.

Have transcripts that show they are an all-around good student.

A transcript shows everything about the person. It gives their test scores, GPA, essays, extracurriculars, and about everything they look at in college. The transcript should be well-rounded; for example, a low GPA but a high score on the ACT/SAT might suggest that the student doesn’t take school as seriously as they should. Transcripts should have many activities or leadership opportunities that a student was involved in, such as community service. All of these make for really good traits a college looks at.

Hotel Hotness

Traveling to a new country to escape Park City’s frigid winter? Want to visit some of the most beautiful hotels in the world for a good price? Hotels tell a lot about a person’s personality. Here’s a list of the top 3 hotels in the world - which one fits you?

Le Royal Monceau - Paris, France, for the fashion-loving extrovert!

This hotel, located barely a block from the Arc de Triomphe, in Paris, France, is one of the most gorgeous hotels in the city. With a range of rooms, from a modern one bedroom to a 3,000 square foot penthouse, this hotel has it all. Most bathrooms include a reflective closet and bathroom, which are covered in mirrors, even the floor and ceiling! Each room has an antique guitar signed by someone famous, and a goose down comforter with silk sheets. The breakfast kitchen is open until 11:30, and includes professional chefs. They can make anything you could ever want, have daily specials, and serve crepes every day. Eating locations vary as well, from the scenic, outdoor glass eating area to the indoor dining room. The hotel also offers over five other restaurants inside of it, 24-hour room service, and its own art gallery.

St. Regis - Park City, Utah, for the person who loves luxury comfort!

If you’re just wishing for a spa vacation during your stay-cation, then the St. Regis is a must for a girl’s (or boy’s) day off. Even though you’re not able to leave Park City, this warm, comforting hotel will definitely transport you to a different place. Directly on the Deer Valley slopes, with a breathtaking view of the mountain, this hotel has amazing rooms. All rooms include a full bath and deck, and some even have a full kitchen. Along with the spectacular rooms, the hotel offers a variety of activities: hiking, horseback riding, skiing (with valet service!), parasailing, fly fishing, and snowshoeing.

Casa Delfino - Crete, Greece, for the rustic, but elegant and simplistic lifestyle!

Hoping for more of a homey, bed and breakfast type for trip to really give you a sense of a home away from home? This hotel is the one for you. From the hotel's start in 1835, the German invasion during World War II, and, finally, the renovation from the fifth generation of the original owners, this hotel has history! Every room is unique and easily holds a family of four, and most have two stories. Combining the old world and ancient bricks with new modern fixtures, this hotel is like staying in a castle... and not just because it used to be one!

Top 5 Outfits in The Halls of Treasure Mountian

In the halls of Treasure Mountain, you’ll find that the students are very trendy; but, there are more outfits that are more popular than others. So here are the top 5 outfits that the students are wearing.

1. The most popular outfit for girls this year seems to be the Lululemon leggings, a sweatshirt and Converse or Vans. This outfit is my favorite, because it really is the most comfortable outfit someone could ever wear. Though Lulus' are a little expensive, you can find almost every girl wearing them almost everyday.
2. The students at Treasure Mountain are all about athletics, so you can find that a lot of the students here wear their sports gear whether it’s game day or not. The boys' varsity soccer team can be found wearing their Park City Soccer, black-and-white zip-ups. The girls' lacrosse team (Varsity and JV) all wear their team sweats and sometimes their red (or black) windbreakers. You can also see that the baseball players have their grey jackets and the lacrosse team with a similar look. Next to Lululemons, athletic wear seems to be the most popular look of the year; since this trend does include the boys.

3. Joggers seem to be a huge trend whether you are into them or not. Both boys and girls wear joggers. Joggers are basically sweatpants that get tighter at the ankle, but are looser everywhere else. Most of the guys at our school wear Khaki Joggers. The girls here wear Adidas joggers, which are a little looser at the ends, but are still moderately skinny. This trend was started by the soccer team. This has to be one of my favorite trends of the year.


4. When guys aren’t wearing the athletic soccer joggers you can see them wearing khakis or jeans. Some guys wear skinny jeans, and others wear loose fit jeans. The most popular article of clothes that guys wear are khakis, they could be either normal khakis or joggers.


5. Almost everyone here at Treasure loves an old pair of Converse or some Vans. Even the guys are hopping on the trend. Though Nike Free Runs or just Nike shoes in general are among the most popular shoes; some guys are switching over to the Vans side. You can also find that the girls love to wear Nikes with their Lululemon leggings or shorts. The three most popular shoe brands this year are of course the Converse, Vans, and Nikes.

Top Three Reasons To Take The Bus

Top Three Reasons To Take The Bus
By Ellie Fischer

The buses here in Park City, Utah, have revolutionized the way transportation works. There are many reasons the transit here is amazing. The three that stand out the most are listed below.

1.) Saves the Environment

The Park City transit system uses biodiesel to operate the buses in a healthy and clean way. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, “biodiesel is a form of diesel fuel manufactured from vegetable oils, animal fats, or recycled restaurant greases.” This means that it is a safe way to power machinery while keeping pollutants out of the air. Another reason buses protect the environment is because buses can hold a numerous amount of people, while cars can only hold a certain handful. This is relevant information because decreasing the amount of cars driven, can clear up the air and keep the environment healthy.

2.) Decreases risks of car accidents
There are many reasons this is a common factor that contributes to people's lives. Taking the bus is the best solution for fatigue driving, drunk driving, distraction, and road rage. One person is killed every half hour due to drunk driving according to the website, 'Lifetips'. Taking the transit system in Park City, and any other city, will help these numbers decrease dramatically. Traffic can often create chaos among the roads which causes people to lash out. Often times this road rage can lead to disasters, such as car wrecks. As you may know, this is very bad for a person’s health condition and money standards, so why not take the bus to prevent all this stress in your life?

3.) Saves money

Referring back to the last paragraph, taking the Park City buses can save money in various ways. It contributes to not having to pay for car insurance, gas, or a way of transportation. This is a substantial plan for anyone’s life because when getting in a car accident, the costs are breathtakingly high. Not to mention, the monthly check ups you have to go through to keep your car operating. Gas prices are rising enormously as years go by, which makes it harder and harder to come up with the money to provide the gas someone needs. Mark Fischer stated that, “Gas prices have historically risen over the years, which leaves less money for for groceries and other optional expenses.” Taking the bus would help eliminate of all of these hassles.


In conclusion, the Park City transit system provides great service, saves money and it keeps the roads and environment safe. People need to start thinking about what the greater good is for the city. Taking the bus is one of these aspects of life and the city has done a great job providing it.





Citations:
"Free Park City Transit System." Park City Utah Transportation. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Feb. 2016.

"How Free-fare Transit Works in Cache County and Park City." The Salt Lake Tribune. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Feb. 2016.

"Park City Transit." Park City, UT : Transit Bus. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Feb. 2016.

7 Reasons Why Valentine's Day absolutely SUCKS

There are many reasons why nearly everyone loves Valentine's Day. All of the happy couples are out there loving each other... and then there are those of us who are single. There are so many different reasons why we hate the day of love, but Paxton and I didn't want to over do it, so we came up with our top seven.

1. No one out there will get you chocolate. The best part of Valentine's Day is the chocolate that comes with it, but you're single - no chocolates will be secretly placed in some romantic area of your house. Even if you do get something on Valentine's Day, it's most likely going to be from your dad in an attempt to make you feel better...
2. It's bad enough to be single on any other day, but on Valentine's Day, we are reminded about how single we really are - constantly. Let's face it: Valentine's Day may be a day of love for the other couples, but it only makes you "celebrate" how forever alone you are.
3. Keeping the previous in mind, when thinking about how alone they are, most people would go out and get ice cream to cheer them up... but if you try that, after you finish one pint of ice cream, you have to go out and buy more, and more, and more. After eating so much ice cream, you start to evaluate yourself and the bad decisions you've made. Realizing how many calories you have gained, you have to go to the gym. NO ONE wants to go to the gym.
4. If you do decide to go to the gym anyway, you have to leave your house. Once you leave your house, you see that EVERYONE but you is in love. It's so awkward. You just kind of... sit there, and you see everyone holding hands, kissing, and hugging, all while you just think, Well, crap. I'm all alone again. Seeing all those happy loving people just makes you a little bit more sad.
5. The Notebook makes you even sadder than normal. Instead of doing something productive, you spend the day wasting your time crying over romantic movies. To make things worse, you get tears in your ice cream, but you still eat it anyway.
6. When chocolates do show up, you'll get extremely excited and think there's someone out there that has been crushing on you, but let's face it: you're you. Is someone really crushing on you? Probably not. You open the card, only to find that they are from your dad, and there was absolutely no reason to get all excited about the chocolates.
7. The worst thing about Valentine's Day is the fact that it makes you feel so lonely that nothing else seems to matter. Valentine's Day crushes our single hearts year after year, so have fun eating your dad's chocolates, crying into a pint of ice cream and watching Nicholas Sparks movies.

Image source: https://coub.com/view/pf93

10 Travel Tips

While spending a bland break in Park City, an exciting trip sounds too good to be true, and with the upcoming breaks, take this opportunity to pursue your dreams to a tropical, or even a polar destination. But, to get to your exciting destination, you must travel. 

Traveling can be the worst part of your vacation, or the easiest, depending on how you travel. Below are the top ten travel tips that lead to a successful vacation.

1. Plane Rides: Take advantage of the movies, occupy yourself, sleep, read, or anything. Check which plane model you’re going on. If it is a newer one, it’ll have TV’s, but if it’s old, make sure you have enough movies downloaded.

2. Coloring books: Coloring books are a great way to spend time on the plane or a long car trip. If you’re someone who gets motion sickness, and reading isn’t for you, coloring books are a great alternative. Play a game with them and pass them to the person sitting next to you. Pass it around until it comes back to you.

3. Laundry: If you have a long trip, make sure that you know where the nearest laundromat. Hotel laundry is so expensive, typically one shirt is about 12 dollars. If you’re going somewhere that is humid or you plan on doing a lot of things, packing light and then finding a laundromat is the best.

4. Cameras: Instead of bringing your big, fancy, camera rely on your phone. Yes, the quality of your pictures will be lower, but you’ll not have the risk of your camera being stolen.

5. Packing: Instead of using up all your free luggage space, bring casual clothes and then lots of jewelry, to make things look fancy. Black clothes are great because they’re so versatile, just bring a couple black shirts and you’ll be set for a day on the beach or a fancy night out.

6. Language: Make an effort to speak their language and learn their culture. Even if it’s just a few words, try using a language learning system on the plane. It’s just polite. 

7. Experience: Don’t spend time all you’re time taking pictures, other places are an experience you don’t want to miss, and if you're too obsessed about taking photos then you will miss out on what's happening right in front of you. Savor the moment, take a day to learn about the city, walk around, or find a cool, unique place to eat.

8.Plan ahead: Making a plan will allow you to experience a lot more than you think. Have an idea for what you want to do every day, or else you’ll end up thinking you have a lot more time than you really do and end up not having enough time.

9. Wake up early: The worst part about a great trip is sleeping in too much. Although sleeping in is an enjoyable part of every vacation, too much can make you miss out. To, prevent this from happening, sent an alarm for a reasonable time and enjoy the rest of your day.

10. Walk: Exploring the city is a spectacular way to learn the culture. Getting lost on purpose or just wandering can help you discover more about the city than any guidebook could. Meet people, find unique shops and restaurants, and don’t be afraid to ask questions, even if you have to use a different language.

By: Cami Burke and Caroline Powell

5 Simple Steps to Get You Through The End of School

As the end of school approaches, the annual "I’m-so-done-with-school fog" is so thick that we can’t see through it and we can’t walk through it… it’s oppressive. Here are a few things to get you through the end of the school year so that you don’t figuratively, or literally, die.

1. See the bright side of core testing. Yeah, I know, it sounds absolutely ridiculous. There is a bright side, though. The core tests we take at TMJH don’t count for your grades (at least in most classes), and they’re more for the teachers and schools than the students. Although you should try (!), you don’t need to stress about them. Also, you most likely won’t have any homework, which is always a plus.
2. Bring candy to your classes! Don’t let it be distracting, or your teachers may take it (because they have every right to). Make sure you know what teachers would be okay with it and when it’s appropriate to eat it. If all else fails, eat it at lunch.
3. Plan fun things after school so you that have something to look forward to. Even though school may still be a drag, at least afterward will be awesome.
4. Talk to people you don’t see outside of school or don’t normally talk to. If you find someone you actually enjoy hanging out with in school, you’ll be more motivated (maybe even excited!) to go to school. 
5. Try to enjoy your classes. Think of the whole experience of school as being a glass-half-full situation. Overlooking, or even partially overlooking, the bad or irritating things about your day can only make you happier.

Whether or not this helps to get you through the last bit of the school year, remember: we only have 19 days left, so stay strong and study on.

(photo: www.storiesofahappymom.com)

Top 10 Books of 2014

In 2014, many novelists were working on wrapping up their respective series, so many of these books are the last in their series or close to last. These are the best books to have been published within the last year according to TMJH. Enjoy these books this year.

1. Blood of Olympus- The last book in The Heroes of Olympus series was a fitting way to end such a funny creative series. Annabeth, Percy, Leo, Piper, Jason, Frank and Hazel, The seven demigods from the prophecy, must find a way to defeat the earth goddess Gaia and save the other demigods at their Roman and Greek camps from each other. 
2. Undivided- In this Latest book by Neil Shusterman, children between the ages of 13 and 17 can be "unwound" a process that harvest organs from the unwanted child to be given to those deemed more deserving. This was the solution to the war over abortion, and in the last book, Conner, Risa, and Lev think they have found the way to stop it.
3. I'll give you the sun- A story narrated by twins Jude and Noah three years apart from each other. They both struggle with finding out who they are, though when they are older, they have grown apart, but too get the entire story they have to find their way back to each other.
4. The Young Elites- The first of this series by Marie Lu author of legend. Adelina is a survivor of the blood plague, a disease that has left her with a scar, silver hair, and strange powers. She must run away from her cruel father to find others like her. A gripping novel full of twists and turns, it's nearly impossible to put down.
5. City of Heavenly Fire- Not for the faint of heart, this last book in the series is 725 pages long. This book is so comically huge it looks fake. The last song in a six book series, it manages to keep one hooked if they decide they are up to the daunting task of reading this goliath.
6. The One- America is one of the few remaining girls left in the selection, the competition to win prince Maxon's heart and become the future queen of Illeà, a futuristic North America. This book has the most action of any of the books this far. Another book, The Heir, is due to come out on May 5th this year, and fans are preparing for another chapter in the lives of Maxon and America.
7. Scarlet- This is the second book in the Lunar Chronicles, a futuristic version of classic fairy tales, like Cinderella, Little Red Ridding Hood, and Rapunzel. It is a very good series and the author manages to artfully create a wonderful world for her characters to reside in.
8. Ruin and Rising- This is the last book in the Grisha trilogy, where the main character, Alina must fight the Darkling to stop his rule over the country. It is an astounding book with lots of unforeseen consequences. 
9. In the Afterlight: A Darkest Minds Novel-Ruby and her friends must find out why the government wants them all dead when the rest of the US's children have been wiped out by a mysterious plague.
10. The Retribution of Mara Dyer- It opens with a teen on the verge of something terrible and manages to keep the suspense and mystery even while wrapping up the series and answering the stories big questions.